Katha:2.2.13

Mantra 2.2.13

Original Text:

नित्योऽनित्यानां चेतनश्चेतनानामेको बहूनां यो विदधाति कामान् ।
	तमात्मस्थं येऽनुपश्यन्ति धीरास्तेषां शान्तिः शाश्वतीनेतरेषाम् ॥ १३ ॥

nityo’nityānāṃ cetanaścetanānāmeko bahūnāṃ yo vidadhāti kāmān |
	tamātmasthaṃ ye’nupaśyanti dhīrāsteṣāṃ śāntiḥ śāśvatīnetareṣām || 13 ||

Word-by-Word Breakdown

Sanskrit Term	Transliteration	Hindi Meaning	English Word or Meaning	Comments
नित्यः	nityaḥ	जो सदा रहता है, अविनाशी	Eternal, imperishable		अनित्यानाम्	anityānām	नाशवानों के बीच	Among the ephemeral beings		चेतनः	cetanaḥ	जो चेतना है, जागरूक	Conscious, sentient		चेतनानाम्	cetanānām	चेतन प्राणियों के बीच	Among the conscious beings		एकः	ekaḥ	एकमात्र, अद्वितीय	One, unique		बहूनाम्	bahūnām	अनेक के लिए	For the many, for the multitude		यः	yaḥ	जो (वह जो)	Who (he who)		विदधाति	vidadhāti	प्रदान करता है, वितरित करता है	Dispenses, bestows		कामान्	kāmān	इच्छाएँ, वांछित वस्तुएँ	Desires, desired objects		तम्	tam	उसे (उस आत्मा को)	Him (that ātman)		आत्मस्थम्	ātmastham	आत्मा में स्थित, अपने भीतर स्थित	Seated in their own self		ये	ye	जो लोग	Those who		अनुपश्यन्ति	anupaśyanti	साक्षात्कार करते हैं, अनुभव करते हैं	Perceive, realize, see directly		धीराः	dhīrāḥ	विवेकी, ज्ञानी	The wise, the intelligent		तेषाम्	teṣām	उनके लिए	For them		शान्तिः	śāntiḥ	शांति, परम शांति	Peace, tranquility		शाश्वती	śāśvatī	शाश्वत, सदा रहने वाली	Eternal, everlasting		न	na	नहीं	Not		इतरेषाम्	itareṣām	दूसरों के लिए	For others

Translation/Explanation

Hindi: जो नाशवानों के बीच नित्य है, चेतन प्राणियों के बीच चेतन है, जो एक होकर अनेक के लिए इच्छित वस्तुएँ प्रदान करता है, ऐसे आत्मा को जो अपने भीतर स्थित देखते हैं, उन विवेकी पुरुषों के लिए शाश्वत शांति है, दूसरों के लिए नहीं।

English: He who is nityaḥ among anityānām, cetanaḥ among cetanānām, who, being ekaḥ, dispenses kāmān to bahūnām, those dhīrāḥ who anupaśyanti him ātmastham, for them is śāśvatī śāntiḥ, not for itareṣām.

Commentary

Again, the ātman is nityaḥ (deathless) among anityānām (mortal things), cetanaḥ (conscious) among cetanānām (conscious beings) such as Brahmā and other living beings. Just as the power of burning in water and other elements, which are not fire in themselves, is due to fire, so too the intelligence of others is due to the intelligence of the ātman. Again, he, being omniscient and the lord over all, dispenses to those having desire (i.e., those in saṃsāra), according to their respective karma, the fruits of karma and desired objects, according to his grace, himself being one, to many, without effort. To such dhīrāḥ (intelligent men) as see him seated in their selves, eternal śāntiḥ (peace) accrues, not to others, i.e., to those who do not see so.

Concepts

nitya
anitya
cetana
ātman
dhīra
kāma
śānti
saṃsāra
karma
grace